November 8th, 2012, 7:01 pm

Sorry for another post explaining why there’s no podcast this week, but at least there’s a reason. But first, the lockout. I can’t help but be hopeful given all the negotiation that’s been happening the past few days. I wish I understood why both sides suddenly decided to stop with the press releases and start talking amongst themselves; some speculate it’s because of the Winter Classic cancellation, but really? No one saw that coming? For whatever reason, the “public posturing” section of the lockout has finished, and the “marathon negotiation” section has begun. It certainly seemed obvious weeks ago that the two sides were not far apart, with the NHL practically branding their 50-50 offer (with supposed “make whole” provision) on the moon, and the players responding in kind with 50-50 proposals of their own. Then both sides sat on their hands for a while- maybe they were scared about Hurricane Sandy? Or didn’t want to miss any Homeland episodes? Even though all this time has been wasted, it certainly seems plausible the season could happen again, and some are even talking about a December 1 start date, and a 70-game season.

The out-of-sorts feeling is in full effect for me- I spent a lot of time sitting this week on the couch during the evening feeling strange. I finally realized that this time of year, the 7-10 PM hours are almost always spent going to a game, watching a game, or thinking about a game. I can’t wait for that feeling to begin again.

But alternatives still exist. Scott Gomez actually signed a player contract with the Alaska Aces, who already have Joey Crabb and Brandon Dubinsky. Seto just played with the Ontario Reign against the Bulls (who have a dismal record). And Ryane Clowe signed a practice contract, but I could see him playing a few games, to get tuned up.

Here’s another alternative. This is absolutely real, and explains why the podcasts have been sparser than usual. Needless to say I already have tickets.

Master of the Hiz-ouse

We will be back next week, and I already have a guest booked, which I hope will make up for our absences.